Colback made one of the most talked-about transfers in recent years as he opted to leave Sunderland for Newcastle, becoming the first player to make the switch between the two since 1998.

Colback is a Newcastle fan and had always dreamed of playing for the Magpies, yet he was a Sunderland academy graduate and knew his decision to move to Tyneside would upset the Black Cats’ support.

It was without doubt a big ordeal at the time, and to help make his decision he spoke to Rangers ace Waghorn who tells reporters how he believes it was too big an opportunity to turn down.

“It was a strange one. He heard about them being in for him and asked me what I thought. He’s been a Newcastle fan all his life, it’s where he grew up and his family supported the club,” Waghorn told the Scottish Sun.

“For him, it was probably too big a chance to turn down — it might not have been there in the future if he’d gone elsewhere. We both had a laugh over it, we were talking about what could go wrong with the fans and having some banter.”

“It had a massive effect on him, he didn’t know what to do, how it might affect his family, his friends.”

“But you’ve got to look at what’s right — playing for a huge club like Newcastle, the history and fanbase and it being his local club and I think he made the right decision.”

Football in the North East is evidently more than just a passion, it’s a way of life so trading Sunderland for Newcastle could be compared to trading Rangers for Old Firm rivals Celtic.

It’s a decision any player can’t take lightly, though such a controversial move has yet to happen between Rangers and Celtic as direct transfers between the two remains at a minimum.

Tom Thorogood

I'm a 27 year old language teacher and writer based out in Mexico with a passion for football and swimming. I like to focus on the top European Leagues, especially La Liga, as well as the footballing development in Central and South America. My favourite teams include Derby County, Barcelona and Jagaures de Chiapas.